Age Spots Treatments and Spot Removers

Age spots are a clear sign of photoaged skin. In non-technical terms this essentially means that the years spent worshiping the sun and getting that glorious beautiful golden tan is coming back to haunt your skin- with a vengeance. Then it is certainly time for age spot treatments.

Overexposing to the sun thorough the years without adequate protection from sunscreen accelerates the skin’s natural aging process. Sun damaged skin is a cumulative process that occurs gradually over decades.

Psst… You aren’t alone! There isn’t a person who is concerned about skin rejuvenation that hasn’t wished that they had been more careful about using sunscreen and protecting their skin from the sun throughout the years.

Age spots are areas of skin pigmentation that darken as a result from a collection of melanin that accumulates over time as the skin is exposed to ultraviolet sun rays.

Age spots usually appear gradually over time and depending on skin type and sun worshiping habits usually wait to materialize until those middle age years. Although age spots can develop at any age, they are more apt to occur with people who have fair skin and tend to burn easily.

How do you get rid of age spots?

Fortunately, there are a variety of "spot removers" albeit with varying degrees of effectiveness.

The quickest, most effective age spot treatments involve facial lasers such as the IPL. Facial lasers can produce some absolutely amazing results, particularly in addressing the wide range of aging skin issues associated with anti-aging skin care.

Unfortunately, it is also the most expensive of the options.

There are, of course, many other affordable options but the results aren’t as instantaneous as laser treatments.

The most common and readily available age spot treatments are over-the-counter bleaching creams such as hydroquinone (2% concentration), or Kojic Acid.

Alpha Hydroxy Acid (glycolic acid) in the stronger concentrations, 10% to 15%, is often recommended as well. To expedite age spot treatments consider combining AHA with an OTC bleaching cream. Be very careful though, this particular combination can be quite irritating to the skin causing dryness, redness, and flakiness.

For the more stubborn spots, prescription strength tretinoin, (Vitamin A- retinol), combined with a bleaching agent works quite well but can be very irritating to the skin.

A series of deep exfoliation treatments such as microdermabrasion, and chemical peels are also considered to be very effective, particularly when used in combination with one of the skin bleaching agents.

Now, once you’ve completed the age spot treatments, the nicest thing you can do for your aging skin is focus on prevention. And you already know what that means… using sunscreen on a daily basis and avoiding prolonged exposure to the sun.

Sue is a researcher and instructor on Anti-Aging Skin Care for the Skin Care e-Learning and Resource Center which provides education on anti-aging skin care while focusing on skin rejuvenation strategies, techniques, treatment options and resources for aging skin care issues.